Removable log bunk



Dec. 13, 1949 J. E. WHALLEY 2,491,067

REMQYABLIEIZLOG BUNK Filed- July 17, 1945 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Dec. 13, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REMOVABLE LOG BUNK John E. Whalley, Eugene, reg..

Application July 17, 1945, Serial No. 605,485

3 Claims. 1 l

The present invention relates to a chock or bunk for supporting logs and the like on railway flat cars or flat bed trucks.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a log bunk which can be quickly and easily mounted on and removed from a standard flat car or truck, so that the vehicle can be used alternately in logging and general service.

Other objects are to provide a log bunk which requires in its mounting no alteration or remodeling of the structure of the vehicle; which rests with ample bearing surface upon the wooden deck planking of the vehicle and thereby takes advantage of the cushioning eiiect of said deck planking; which is held in place principally by the standard stake pockets of the vehicle by means of novel quick detachable locking members; and which is simple and inexpensive to construct and is small enough to be easily and conveniently stored when not in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description which should be read with the understanding that changes, within the scope of the claims hereto appended, may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts, without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in said claims.

A typical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view showing my log bunk mounted on a railway fiat car of standard construction.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the car showing the log bunk in elevation.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a portion of the log bunk and a portion of the side of the car.

Logs, poles, and heavy timbers are carried lengthwise on fiat cars or flat bed trucks, resting upon transverse sills known in the art as bunks. When the load is not longer than the car, there are usually two bunks, one over each car bolster. In case of very long poles or timbers, there may be one bunk on one car and another on the next car, the load being divided between the two cars.

In the drawings, I have shown a standard flat car bed having longitudinal center sills 3 and side sills 4 connected together by transverse sills, one being shown at 5. The connections between the transverse and longitudinal sills may be of any usual form, for example welds as indicated at 5a in Fig. 2. A flat longitudinal plate 6 rests upon the center sills 3 and with them forms the center frame of the car. Wooden deck planking l rests upon center frame plate 6 and the side 2 sills 4, and is additionally supported by Z bars 8. The deck planking is fastened to the various frame members by bolts, not shown. Stake pockets 9 are secured to the side sills 4 by welding or riveting.

My improved log bunk comprises a load supporting member, preferably a length of railway rail I0, slightly longer than the width of the car and having its ends curved upwardly, as shown at H. The rail 10 is mounted upon fiat steel plates or bearing members I2 and i3, and secured thereto by rivets M. The plates are arranged lengthwise of the car and crosswise of the rail 10. There are preferably two plates l2 near each end of the rail, and two plates i3 spaced apart near its center, as shown.

The plates 12 and I3 rest upon the deck planking I of the car, and are of sufficient area properly to distribute the load so that said planking Will not be crushed. The side plates l2 rest on the planking in the region of the side sills 4 of the car, and the center plates 13 are positioned over the side portions of the center frame plate 6. By this arrangement there is no excessive load on the unsupported regions of the planking, yet advantage is taken of the cushioning effect of the Wooden deck interposed between the bunk structure and the steel frame of the car.

The side plates I2 are long enough to span the distance between two adjacent stake pockets 9. Angle brackets I5 are secured to the plates l2 by rivets l6, and are bent down vertically to lie close along side the side sills 4 and to pass through the stake pockets 9. The bunk is thereby held against shifting either lengthwise or crosswise of the car. In order to hold the bunk down, locking blocks I! are secured by bolts Hi to the ends of the brackets I5 below the stake pockets 9. The extreme ends of said brackets are bent outwardly beneath said blocks, as shown at Hi, to take the shearing strain off the bolts IS. The heads of said bolts are countersunk into the brackets l5. They do not pass through the side sills 4. The blocks I! are long enough so that they cannot pass through the stake pockets 9.

As an additional means of securing the bunk, bolts 20 may be passed through the center bearing plates l3 and the center frame plate 6 and the intervening planking. The holes already drilled for the planking bolts can be used for the bolts 29, it being necessary only to remove the planking bolts at these points and insert longer bolts in their places.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that my log bunk can be mounted on a flat without any alteration in the structure of the car, and without removing any of its deck planking, or any of its parts except the four deck bolts at the positions 20. The bunk is set in place, with its four angle brackets 15 extending down through the stake pockets 9, the locking blocks I! are bolted in position, and the center bolts 20 are inserted and tightened. Upon the equally simple removal of the log bunk, the car is at once ready for general service.

When fastened in position as described, the log bunk is securely held against movement in any direction, principally by being locked to at least four stake pockets, which provide ample strength. The weight is amply and properly distributed, on the wooden deck, and the cushioning-effect of said deck is preserved.

I claim:

1. A removable log bunk for a vehicle, said vehicle having a fiat deck with spaced stake pockets along each-side, comprising a load supporting member extending across said deck, hearing members positioned beneath and secured to said load supporting members near the sides of the deck, each of said bearing members extending lengthwise of the vehicle substantially throughout the distance between two stake pockets, at least two brackets secured to each bearing member and extending downwardly through said two stake pockets respectively, and means for locking said brackets in said stake pockets.

2. A removable log bunk for a vehicle, said vehicle having sills, a flat deck thereon and stake pockets at its sides, comprising a length of railway rail extending across said deck, bearing members beneath and secured to the bottom of the rail, said bearingmembershaving fiat bottoms and being positioned to rest upon said deck above said sills, angle brackets having horizontal portions secured to said bearing members and vertical legs extending downwardly through said stake pockets, said legs having horizontal shoulders at their lower ends, and locking means separably secured to said legs between said shoulders and the bottoms of said stake pockets.

3. A removable log bunk for a vehicle, said vehicle having a flat deck with spaced stake pockets along each side, comprising a load supporting member extending across said deck, bearing members positioned beneath and secured to said load supporting members near the sides of the deck, each of said bearing members extending lengthwise of the vehicle substantially throughout the distance between two stake pockets, at least two brackets secured to each bearing memher and extending downwardly through two stake pockets respectively, said brackets having horizontal shoulders at their lower ends, and locking members separably secured to said brackets between said shoulders and the bottoms of said stake pockets.

JOHN E. WI-IALLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The'following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 884,679 Pokorney Apr. 14, 1908 995,633 Peterson June 20, 1911 1,060,952 Shields May 6, 1913 1,811,634 Isaacson June 23, 1931 1,867,352 Churgay et al. July 12, 1932 

